Friday, January 13, 2012

Owners of thousands of U.S. homes tainted with foul-smelling Chinese drywall agreed to a legal settlement on Thursday with a German manufacturer. The settlement reached with Knauf International was worth $800 million to $1 billion, but a lawyer for the company said the final amount would likely be much lower.
Knauf International's Chinese subsidiary made the tainted product, which has been blamed for producing a stench and fumes that damage air conditioning, wiring and fixtures.
Plaintiffs say the settlement, which requires court approval, could provide for repairs on as many as 4,500 properties containing drywall made by Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin, or KPT.

Many of the affected homes were built in 2006 and 2007 at the end of a U.S. housing boom and during a burst of rebuilding after several hurricanes in the U.S. Southeast. The drywall was tainted by sulfur from a gypsum mine in Northern China, according to a KPT attorney.

Knauf Group, parent of Knauf International, is one of the world's largest makers of building materials. It employs 23,000 worldwide and had 2008 sales of 5.6 billion euros, according to its website.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

When working with sanders, cutting wood, swipping basement or garage and when applying furtiliser in the summer, is a good idea to use a Disposable Respirator. You can purchase them at any hardware store or any big box stores like HD or Lowes. Most of the respirators offer one size universal fit.

One very efficient Respirator is Willson One-Fit N95, which offers affordable and effective filtering mask and at the same time you have an excellent protection when cutting or sanding wood, installing fiberglass insulation or drywall, auto-body work, landscaping. This respirator is using Electrostatic filtration and it the same provides very low-breathing resistance, not to mention comfort level when you wear it for a long time period . This respirator is also prevents reaction to sensitive skin and its good quality construction gives you a filtration efficiency of 95% against nonoil airborne particles. They usually come in the Box of 20 and its a must to have item for every contractor or DIY.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Make the most of your deck with Vast Composite Pavers

The beauty of pavers is now available for your deck. Enjoy the unique luxury created from a deck made from Vast Composite Deck Pavers. Vast pavers use a patented grid system with integrated water drainage to make installation to a deck sub-floor simple and durable.

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Composite Deck Paver (3"x6" Boardwalk Paver, 11.8"x11.8" Grid)

The Pavers are Truly Maintenance-Free

Vast composite pavers let you spend time enjoying your deck, not working on it.

No staining, painting, sealing or treatment required

No fasteners to work loose and no splinters

Completely resist mold and mildew

Replace a single paver (versus replacing an entire piece of lumber)

Superior Performance

Vast pavers is a highly engineered material designed to maximize strength, durability and appearance.